Raon now free of illegal vendors

WORKERS confiscate stalls from vendors who illegally sell their wares along Raon Street in Sta. Cruz, Manila, as the city government launches a clean-up drive in a bid to make the streets readily accessible to motorists and pedestrians. (Ali Vicoy)

To help decongest traffic, Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada encouraged the public to go out of their vehicles and walk as he led the clearing operations on Raon Street in Quiapo yesterday.

“While we continue clearing our roads of all obstructions, many people still have no discipline in parking their vehicles. They want to park their vehicles as nearer to their destinations as possible even if it obstructs traffic flow,” he said.

He added that in highly urbanized cities such as Tokyo, Seoul, New York, and Beijing, people seldom use their private vehicles as they prefer mass transport system.

“They usually walk and explore the cities on foot, which is a good exercise and stress-reliever, and incidentally helps reduce traffic volume in the road,” Estrada said.

During yesterday’s clearing operations, more than 400 illegal vendors were driven away, and at least six truckloads of trash – from vendors’ makeshift wooden stalls to pushcarts – were confiscated.

Task Force Manila Cleanup head Che Borromeo said the cleanup of Raon, a popular electronics shopping center, is long overdue. (Jaimie Rose R. Aberia)